The Beauty In Family
by Wanderer of the Sky
Summary: Christmas has come to Camp-Half Blood, and all the demigods are celebrating. Well...all but one.


**A/N:** _I updated! That's something I haven't done in quite awhile, and I'm sorry for that. I shouldn't have been so selfish, but it techically wasn't my fault. My dad took away my laptop, the only reason I have it now, is because I got some of my grades up. Back to the point, I was crying as I was typing this (I'm really emotional), since Christmas is coming up, I wanted to create this, plus, I have a challenge to finish. So, I have that you like this story and enjoy it!  
_ **Challenge:** _The Acronym Challenge by Queen-Sheep_

 **Disclaimer:** _I do not own Percy Jackson!_  
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Criticism or any form of advice is highly appreciated!**

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Family

Grover smiled warmly as he saw all the campers gathering around each other, each and every one smiling and giving each other warm berths. Free from any torture, free from any fear, free from prophecies and war, just…love. Love and friendship, that was all he saw. Campers that were older beyond years were back to just teenagers. Teenagers without a worry in the world, teenagers that were free.

"Is that who I think it is?" A voice exclaimed in the crowd of campers, "Yes it is. Grover! Come on, we saved an extra plate of food for you!" Travis yelled excitedly as he spotted the satyr walking alone to who knows where.

Victor, one of the other sons of Hermes, saw Travis and tackled him teasingly to the ground, "You know what, Grover? I highly suggest you run, it's a war down here!" Travis laughed as Connor joined in the pile. And as Grover walked away, Travis smiled the biggest smile Grover had ever seen him do, "Merry Christmas, Grover!"

Instantly, Grover smiled back. "You as well Travis!" Grover waved and left, the smile immediately leaving his lips. He was worried, there was someone missing from the crowd, someone that was important to him as a friend. Grover walked up to a certain door to a certain cabin. He hesitantly moved his hand to the door and knocked on it twice. "Percy?"

"No, I'm not going out there." A voice called back, full of misery and pain. Percy shut himself in his cabin for days. Of course, no one really noticed except for Grover and Annabeth, and they tried their best to get him out, but it wouldn't work. Ever since _she_ died, he shut himself in.

Grover shook his head, "No, Percy. You are my friend, please just let me talk to you. I get that you don't want to go outside, but please, let me talk to you." Grover's heart broke as he was saying these words. His heart broke out for his friend that was suffering in the cabin. So when he heard a sigh and a door being opened, Grover smiled instantly, taking this as his chance to fix what was broken.

Grover walked inside, sat next to Percy on his bed, and inwardly gasped at the state his friend was in. Percy's hair was ruffled more than usual. His clothes all dirty, and the room messy. However, it was more of Percy's face that scared him. The usual smile gone, nothing there, just darkness and void. His eyes so full of despair and yet so empty. Nothing was there. Percy's eye bags were more accented than usual and have become a deep dark shade of purple. He just looked so…out of place.

"I—" Grover wanted to say: _I just wanted to give you a Merry Christmas._ But, for Percy, there was no such thing. There was no _giving_ for him today, no _Merry,_ and no _Christmas._ Christmas was a time of giving, yet Grover and nothing to give. The only Percy was given was sadness. "I'm sorry, Percy. I can't do anything for you. I'm trying so hard, but," Grover's voice cracked. Percy just smiled lightly at his friend, grateful for someone so kind.

"Vibrant. She was very vibrant," Percy whispered softly, and Grover listened intently, knowing who he was talking about. "She always made everything fun, she was so kind, just like you. She always made me smile even when I was down. She never got mad, she was never furious. She was relaxed, and when I was mad, she would hold my hand and rub it. Her warmth always made me feel at home." Tears started to drip out of Percy's and Grover's eyes. "I loved her so much, she had to put up with a horrible and abusive husband because of me. Yet that never deterred her. Even though she couldn't afford it, on my birthday, she would buy me a blue cake, and she would be so happy." Percy closed his eyes and smiled genuinely, "Yes, I could still remember her smile every time I would hug her.

"I was such a lonely child back then, so she and I would walk to places we like with each other. I remember a time when I was walking with ice cream in my hand, I accidentally dropped it and was crying because she bought it for me. But I remember her laugh, it was so care-free and young, she gave me her ice-cream instead and we shared it. She's gone now, though. This is my very first Christmas without her, without mom. And next year, I won't have my first birthday without her, nor the next and the next. She's gone."

"No!" Grover yelled as he grabbed Percy by the shoulder, "She's not gone, her love remains. You remember her smile, right? Then you still have a memory. Cherish it. She left so many things for you, her memories, her smile, her warmth. She left that all for you to remember, so she's still here. As you go through your years, Percy. Sally would have wanted you to remember her, she wouldn't want you to be sad." Grover noticed that he started shaking, but continued anyway, "Sally was like a mother to me, you know! I loved her as well, you are not the only one suffering, Percy! Annabeth, Paul, me, we are all suffering! I get it that your hurting, but we are to. So you can't do this to us, this isn't what friends do to each other. They are supposed to be there for one another, just like a family. So instead of isolating yourself, you need to be with friends. You've carried our pain, Percy, you've carried it all. So now, let the camp and me, as friends—no, as _family._ Let us carry your pain."

Grover sobbed as he felt Percy hug him, "Thank you, Grover. Thank you." Percy released Grover and immediately smiled, something that he's going to get used to again. "I remember, I have a gift for you." Percy moved and got out a set of new reed pipes, the best ones Grover had ever seen. "You said that you needed new reed pipes, so I asked Annabeth, and she got me some" Grover smiled at the gift in his hands. "Merry Christmas, Grover."


End file.
